Taking away vending machines from schools?

[FreedomAngel82]

I just heard the AAR news report and the guy was talking about this republican guy was wanting to get rid of vending machines in schools that serve coke and candy and how it goes to obeseity and he was saying it would be hypocritical to have health classes and have these machines.
I think it's wrong of them to do. Why? In health class you're to learn how to eat and it's up to you and your own personal responsibility to exercise and all that. What do you all think? I think it's ridiculous. Are they going to take away soda and snack's at school events too (like football games)?

[GetTheRightVote]

1. There are alot of thin students drinking it as well, another stupid ideal

from the far right. I do not drink the stuff myself because it is not that good for you but to demand it is sad. Freedom anyone, just put a juice machine next to it if it bothers you. Just a suggestion.

:kick:

[pstans]

7. it isn't just from the far right

Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin supports a bill about limiting soda and candy bars in schools. Harkin is very far from the far right, as he stood up and spoke about election fraud, voted against Rice, etc.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Agreed

At the fending machine's at my schools and the schools I went in public education always had at least one machine that had juice and water. Kids have to learn to make their own decisions about food and what to eat.

[rpannier]

2. Some obesity like most things start at home

Some is genetic. But most of these kids get most of their soda at home or at the homes of friends.
Another example of that Republican personal responsibility.

[FreedomAngel82]

10. You're right about obesity

And it being genetic. I used to be pretty healthy in weight issue but gained quite a bit in the past two years because of thyroid problems (now taking medicine for). So it's just not right to punish kids like that. What about teaching healthy eating habits to kids early? In kindegarten instead of milk and a cookie why not milk and fruit?

[ott]

13. Not to get off subject

In kindegarten instead of milk and a cookie why not milk and fruit?

Milk, although it might offer some nutritional value, is overall worse for your health than soda. Think animal fat, think FDA allowed levels of puss, think bleach because the cows are milked bloody, think stupid levels of antibiotics, think injected growth hormones, think cholesterol, think lactose intolerance, think allergies, think spoilage.

Think that'll be taught in school?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. High School, OK...

JR High? Maybe

definitely NOT in grade school. My kids eat a lot of crap now (teenagers), but when the were young and still growing, I kept them away from it as much as possible. They got used to having real food, and a special snack SOMETIMES. Now they gorge on the stuff, because they can, but they prefer real food most of the time.

on edit: The really sad part is that many schools are using the money from the vendor contracts to help fill the holes in their budgets.

[latteromden]

4. I have vending machines in my school. Nobody uses them. It's too weird for

us, because we never had them in middle school, and all of a sudden, it's like, "VENDING MACHINE! EAT!" :P

I think you're exactly right when you say that kids need to make their own decisions when it comes to eating and exercising.

[pstans]

5. That has been a debate for awhile now

I think it has as much to do with providing some healthy items in the vending machines other than the sugar laced products that are most common. That way the students really do have a choice on what they eat. If there are only candy bars in the machines then they do not have a choice. If there are no machines at all, then they have no choice.

The vending machines provide the schools with income that helps support athletic teams, marching band, etc, so it would be bad if they were taken out of the schools totally.

[OneMoreDemocrat]

6. Good.........

Coke and candy are poison and should be removed from schools.

This 'Republican guy" is right.

[ott]

8. Sugar and caffeine are drugs

And that's all soda and candy are. I don't want cigarettes or alcohol sold on campus either.

There shouldn't be bad options offered, it's like putting birthday cake on the lunch menu as a main course.

Why not offer a television class and allow the students to choose between that and 'traditional' academics?

They're there to learn, by instruction, by example, by the micro-culture of the campus.

What does offering absolute junk to consume, teach?

[seabeyond]

11. i am not opposed to taking junk out of school at all

nope. my kids had hardly any candy. then as soon as they went to school they were given it all the time. i have a hard time believing a republican is suggesting this. coca cola and other companies make tons of money. they bought their way into these school with donations for sports boards and the like. they invested a lot of money to get into the schools

pull the junk out at least in elementary (before they have the control and ability to implement the rules they learn in health classes) and middle school. leave in high school

[Must_B_Free]

12. There is no reason to sell junk food in school

[jokerman93]

14. social engineering

Got to be thin if you're going to grow up and fight in the neverending war for freedom.

[fishwax]

15. This argument usually comes from the left, and I personally support it

selling the pouring rights in high schools, colleges, and even entire school districts is one way that administrators have used to raise lots of cash, but it mortgages kids futures for the benefit of the large corporations involved in shoveling sugar down their throat. I had vending machines at my high school, and looking back can't think of any reason they were necessary. At least when they brought vending machines into our middle school they insisted that only juice be available.

Generally conservatives I've discussed this issue with or whom I've heard discuss this issue don't favor removing vending machines because (a) pouring rights provide money to schools so we can lower taxes (yeah, right), and (b) it strikes them as impingent on the free market and market synergy, which is more important to them than the health of the nation's schoolchildren.